You can read this book here in pdf - Electric Scotland

266 SCOTTISH ANNALS
letter had been broken we could not satisfy their request in full ;
nevertheless bent by their persistence and supplication, and
wishing with provident care to act for the benefit and profit of
your church in this matter, we have caused the tenour of the
letter of the aforesaid king to be written word for word, nothing
and have thought fit to send it to you under
added or left out ;
our seal, that you may have it as a memorial for ever.
the tenour of this letter is as follows :
And
'
To his most reverend lord and father Alexander, by God's
grace highest pontiff, William, by the same grace king of Scotland,
greeting and devout reverence.
"
May thy Holiness know that by diligently investigating
the truth concerning the church of Scotland's subjection which
the church of York claims for herself by ancient right, both in
authentic documents which I have inspected and in the relation
and testimony of ancient, trustworthy and truthful men, I have
learned that from ancient times it pertains of right to the church
of York, and that she lost possession of it by the hostility and
influence of the kings my predecessors. But now by the grace
of God peace being definitively restored between my lord the
king of England and me I humbly beg that by your authority,
all pretext and appeal being set aside, you command the afore-
said possession and subjection to be restored and renewed to
my lord king and his kingdom, and to the church of York.
And not without the greatest loss to me and harm to my kingdom
can it be neglected to be so done since it was so ;
agreed
in the peace restored between my lord king and me and I have
;
confirmed the same with an oath, knowing that it would re-
dound to the greatest peril of our souls if that which we surely
know ought to take place should not be put into effect.
" May thy Holiness ever flourish."
Given at Anagni, the third 1 before the Ides of May.
1176, July.
BENEDICT OF PETERBOROUGH, GESTA HENRICI II, VOL. I,
p. 118. 2
Vivian, cardinal priest, was therefore sent to them ;
and he
received the office of legate also in Ireland, Scotland and Norway,
and in the other neighbouring islands. And about the
feast of St. Mary of Magdalene 3 he came to land in England,
without the king's permission.
1 13th May.
2 Cf. Hoved., ii, 98-99. 3 22nd July.